She Can Save Them
by RileyknowsThings
Summary: She knows what's going to happen. But the question is who can she save without changing too much? Basically what would happen if I went to Hogwarts.
1. I

Riley Dodds was laying on her bed listening to music and looking up at her ceiling.

Her door opened and her mother stood there. "Riley I said your name like four times," she said.

"Oh, sorry I was listening to music."

She pulled off her headphones and let them fall around her neck. "What is it?"

Her mother smiled and gave her an envelope.

"This is the Hogwarts crest... Mom, is this a joke?"

Her mother shook her head and beamed. Riley read through the same Hogwarts acceptance letter she's red every time she re read the first Harry Potter book. Except this time it had her name on it. "Well thanks mom for having this made."

"I didn't have it made. It was delivered by an owl."

Riley's eyes widened. Then she remembered Dumbledore stops by and explains things to muggleborns and their parents. Riley crossed her arms. "Well, then. I'll just wait for Dumbledore. They always come explain things to muggleborns."

There was a loud "crack!" outside the house and then a knock on the door.

Riley raced door the stairs and opened it to reveal Albus Dumbledore. "What... then who's Michael Gambon?"

"Michael who?" Dumbledore asked

"Never mind."

"Are you by chance Riley Dodds?"

Riley nodded still in astonishment.

"I am Albus -"

"Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore,"Riley finished

Dumbledore smiled. "You know a lot don't, you?"

"Yes. Um, by chance... what year is Harry Potter in right now?"

"Same as you," Dumbledore said

"Second book. Bad time for muggleborns..."

I-I

"This is Diagon Alley," Dumbledore said. "Riley, what I said before, save some lives."

"I will, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore dissaparated.

Riley's father had come with them because he, too wanted to be present for this event. So did Riley's stepfather and her cousin Hannah.

"Where are you going to go first, Riley?" Hannah asked.

"We already got our money transferred into wizard money so, Madam Malkin's!"

They raced into the shop, where two boys were already getting their robes fitted.

"Don't tell me," Draco Malfoy said. "I'm going to say... First Year, only because I haven't seen you around before, mudblood (pretty obvious by your parents wandering around outside) and.. probably going to be Gryffindor."

"Correction, Draco Malfoy. I am actually a second year, I just haven't gotten my letter until now and will be starting in second year. I'm from America, I am a _muggleborn,_ but I happen to know more about the wizarding world and everyone in it than you will ever know. For example, your fathers name is Lucius Malfoy, and you're secretly intimated because he wants you to grow up exactly like him and you're thinking 'what if I don't want to be a Death Eater?' and you know exactly what's going to go down at Hogwarts this year - don't give me that face I know you know what I'm talking about - and I know your father knows exactly what's going to go down at Hogwarts this year. In fact, he's going to slip a book in Ginny Weasley's cauldron that starts the whole thing and I, my friend, am going to glare a hole into the back of his skull but I'm not going to stop it because it would change too many things and deprive Harry Potter of some very useful information and clear the name of Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper," she finished and inhaled a deep breath. "Oh, and I'm still deciding whether to call you Draco or Malfoy because I might hate you somewhat but you have your reasons. And I'll probably be in Hufflepuff. Gryffindors show off a bit too much for my personality."

Draco Malfoy stood with wide eyes, and Madam Malkin had gone still. Draco assumed she was finished with his robes and hopped down from the platform to extend his hand towards Riley. "Call me Draco."

She shook his hand. "Call me Riley. Riley Dodds."

"You're not going to be... uh... _friends_ with Potter are you?"

"So are you saying you're going to be friends with me because if so I'm flattered that you're over the fact I'm a 'mudblood' but I'm afraid with my knowledge your father will tell Voldemort that I'm useful and that could be _very_ dangerous. And I can be friends with whoever I wish but I don't imagine Harry will be at the top of my list. He's got a lot of other priorities and I don't want to mess up the name the 'Golden Trio' because the 'Golden Quartet' sounds kind of odd, don't you think?"

Draco frowned. "My -"

"Father will hear about this!" she interrupted. "Ah one of my favorite lines. Right after, 'follow the spiders? Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?' or anything ever said by Albus Dumbledore."

Draco sighed. "You're really confusing me right now."

"You are debating whether or not to be friends with me or call me a 'mudblood' and storm off. Which, by the way, I have to tell you 'mudblood' is getting a bit old. Come up with some new insults. I have a few I can recommend."

He thought for a moment. "I don't really hate you... but I'm going to have to... around other Slytherins. You must know how they'd treat me."

"I understand," she said. "Only if I can throw some insults back. I don't just take things, you know."

I-I

Riley walked into the book shop.

"I hate that guy," Fred Weasley mumbled to George, in reference to Gilderoy Lockhart posing for photos in the front of the shop.

"Don't worry, he's a fake," Riley said appearing beside them.

"Well, hello, who are you?" Fred asked.

She tilted her head to the side. "Don't get flirty with me Fred Weasley," she said.

George pressed his lips together in an attempt not to laugh.

"How do you know my name?" Fred asked.

"I know a lot of things. Like how Gilderoy Lockhart is a fake, your name is Fred Weasley, your twin's name is George Weasley, your family consists of you two, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley (he works with dragons which I think is pretty awesome), Percy Weasley - a bit snobbish and boring but hey he's smart - Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley. And that's just your immediate family. Oh, and Lucius Malfoy shall enter in. . . hold on. . . now."

Lucius Malfoy followed by Draco entered the shop.

"Wow. So what are you, psychic or something?" George asked.

"No, actually, I just know things. And I don't like the term 'psychic' because I prefer the term 'psyschotic'. You're taking away three of my letters. That's rude."

Fred and George laughed. "What house are you in?"

"I'm starting off in Second Year, because I didn't get my letter until now. And I haven't been sorted yet but I do hope it's Hufflepuff."

"Interesting."

"Interesting is a word people use in normal conversation when there's nothing else to say," she said. "It doesn't really mean what I said is actually very interesting. Because, frankly, it's just a basic background."

"Then what's your name?"

"Riley Dodds."

"And who is that?" Fred asked.

"That's my cousin Hannah. She came with me to Diagon Alley because she wanted to see the wizarding world."

They nodded.

"Hold on," she said, and walked towards where Lucius Malfoy, Arthur Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter were standing.

"Red hair. . . and a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley!" Draco said to Ginny.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something and closed it.

"White hair, real asshole, snobbish and out of fresh insults, you must be a Malfoy," Riley interjected.

He rolled his eyes, but discretely gave her a thumbs up. "You're just a -"

"I know, I'm a mudblood! Get over it. I don't find that insulting."

Lucius Malfoy narrowed his eyes at Riley.

"Problem, grumpy?" she asked. "Get your old-man walking stick and your attitude, and go away like a good little moron."

Malfoy gave a hair flip, picked up his cane, and stormed away.

"This isn't a Pantene commercial!" she called after him.

"Thank you for that," Mr. Weasley said.

"No problem, had a run in with Draco earlier. I'm Riley Dodds."

"I'm Arthur Weasley. I see you've already met Fred and George."

She smiled.

After she was done shopping for her school supplies, Ginny said, "See you at Hogwarts, Riley!

"See ya!"

 **End of chapter thoughts about Riley**

 **Draco Malfoy: Friend with Weasley's now, too? This girl is impossible.**

 **George Weasley: She's got a lot of sass.**

 **Fred Weasley: Spunky.**

 **Ginny Weasley: I like her.**

 **Lucius Malfoy: I hate that mudblood. She insulted my hair! My hair is fabulous.**

 **Albus Dumbledore: I expect great things.**


	2. II

"There's our favorite future Hufflepuff!" Fred Weasley exclaimed, sliding open the compartment door.

"There's my favorite red-heads!" Riley returned.

Fred and George sat across from Riley and George stated, "We are giving you a tour of Hogsmeade first Hogsmeade weekend. We call dibs."

Riley laughed. "I didn't know there was competition!'

"There was actually. Ron wanted to do it. So did Malfoy. And Harry."

"They did, now?"

"But we beat them to it!" George exclaimed.

"Okay, then. Hogsmeade weekend."

I-I

"Transfer students, first" Minerva McGonagall said. "Dodds, Riley"

Riley went and sat on the stool happily. Professor McGonagall place the sorting hat on her head and it began speaking. Riley about died from excitement.

"Kind, loyal, spunky. . . secretly insecure. . . "

"Hey, that's personal, dude," Riley scolded.

"Too much love to give not enough people listening . . . HUFFLEPUFF!"

Riley beamed and skipped over to the Hufflepuff table and sat down next to her favorite Hufflepuff that offered her a spot.

"I'm -"

"Cedric Diggory," she finished. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I know everyone."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's impressive."

"Thank you."

 **Character thoughts so far on Riley**

 **Cedric Diggory: I wonder if she plays Quidditch**

 **George Weasley: Seems like a fun person**

 **Fred Weasley: Freaks me out when she tells you stuff you didn't even know about yourself but it's cool**

 **Draco Malfoy: I called Hogsmeade first, damn it!**

 **Harry Potter: Awesome**

 **Hermione Granger: Seems intelligent**

 **Ron Weasley: I wonder what her favorite food is**

 **Minerva McGonagall: I do not yet know enough to make an observation**


	3. III

Riley was in the Hufflepuff common room, thinking about what the sorting hat had said. "Secretly insecure"

The sorting hat had said it sympathetically.

"Too much love to give not enough people listening."

At this moment she would've shouted "Preach!" or give the hat a high five. Except no one else knew what the hat had said and the hat doesn't have hands . . .

She walked out of the Second Year girls' dormitory and sat onto the couch in the common room. "It's just so strange. . ." Riley muttered.

"What's strange?" a voice asked.

"It's the voices again!" she whisper-yelled.

"Actually, no, it's Cedric," the voice explained. "Voices?"

"It used to be my best friend but my psychiatrist took it away. . . along with my superpowers. . . that bitch. . ."

"Maybe you'll get them back some day," he said.

"Or maybe I already have superpowers," she thought aloud.

"Then what are your superpowers?"

"I can feel what others feel, put myself in their shoes. It's the reason I can never take sides in an argument. I can't bring myself to ever hurt someone, even if it was a mistake. I've just got an old soul, I guess."

"That's amazing," he said. "Anyway, I was going to ask if you were going to the Hufflepuff quidditch tryouts."

"When are they?"

"Next week."

"I'll be there."


	4. IV

A/N: I'm going to try out first person point of view for this chapter. I think I'm going to keep it third person point of view for the whole story but I'm going to see how this goes.

I was sitting at the Hufflepuff table being relatively silent. I guess I had too much on my mind that day. I was writing a list in my journal of all the things on my mind.

1) I don't know who to save. I can't make too many changes without changing the story, and then I won't know what's going to happen.

2) The sorting hat seemed to be able to put my deepest thoughts into words. I need to get to the sorting hat somehow.

3) Quidditch tryouts (I've never flown on a broom - this could be a disaster)

4) I haven't talked to Draco for two days - probably because he's always with other Slytherins. I have noticed he's tried to lose them lately.

5) People I still need to meet. I haven't even met half of my favorite characters - well, people - yet.

6) How will I convince Cedric fourth year not to touch the cup? Should I tell him everything that would happen? Would he even believe me?

7) Ask Hermione Granger for help on that potions assignment.

8) Fred and George - Hogsmeade

"Are you alright?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind. I get stressed easily."

"When I'm stressed, I like to sit by the black lake and listen."

I closed my notebook and put my pen down and slipped them into my bag. "I might try that some time. Hey, Cedric. Do you consider me your friend?"

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

I smiled. "I don't know. I feel I'm a person that's easily forgotten sometimes."

"Well I promise never to forget you," he pledged, holding one hand out in front of him for extra effect.

I-I

The next day only one thing was on my mind for a change. I really want a hug. That seems to happen to me a lot. I'm a very huggable person. Not sure if huggable is a word but I just invented it . . . deal with it. I mentally went through I list of people I knew were at Hogwarts and which of them would be willing to give a random person a hug. I must find either Luna Lovegood or Neville Longbottom. Or maybe Ginny Weasley. Harry Potter? Probably not.

I wandered around for a bit looking for anyone on that list. Maybe Hannah Abbot? I found Neville first so I guess I'd ask him. "Hello, Neville," I said.

"Oh, hi - um Riley."

"Can I have a hug?"

"What?" he asked. Obviously he's never been randomly asked for a hug before.

"A hug. I like giving random hugs sometimes. I like hugs."

"Okay. . . " he said.

"Yay!" I exclaimed, and gave Neville the biggest hug I could.

"That was completely random but appreciated," he noted.

"Your welcome."


	5. V

"I've never flown on a broomstick," Riley advised. "So Quidditch tryouts could be a disaster."

Cedric opened his mouth to tell her he could help out, when Fred and George appeared behind her. "We need your help," Fred looked around warily.

"We need to hide from Percy," George explained.

"I recommend the library. He'd never expect you there," Riley suggested and pointed to the corridor that led to the library.

"You're a genius, Riley! Thanks!" George called as him and Fred took off down the corridor, an angry Percy hot on their tails.

"Do you know where they're going?" Percy asked.

Riley shook her head. "The Black Lake maybe?"

She laughed to herself when Percy went off in that direction.

"About the quidditch," Cedric said. "I can -"

"Riley!" Ginny called.

Cedric huffed in frustration. Riley noticed this, and said to Ginny, "Cedric has something to say first."

Cedric continued. "I said, I can help you out before tryouts."

"Thanks, Cedric," she said.

He smiled. "No problem."

"Now, Ginny, what's the situation."

"Well . . ." Ginny began.

I-I

Riley was unsteady on her broom, and her face was drained of color. Cedric laughed, and flew back to her. She was supposed to be following him, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

She looked absolutely terrified and was clutching the broom as if her life depended on it. Which it kind of did.

"You want to land?" Cedric asked.

Riley shook her head determinedly. "No, no. I can do this. I'm good. I've just got to get used to the height first."

She looked down – bad idea – and quickly looked back up with a look of absolute terror. I'd say she looked like she'd seen a ghost – but she's already done that and they weren't really that scary. Unless you're talking about the bloody baron. So, yeah. It looked like she'd just seen the bloody baron coming at her with a knife.

He had to say he admired her determination – but he was half afraid she really _would_ fall off her broom. Even though the possibility was pretty slim. "I think I got it!" she exclaimed, finally steady and sitting up proudly with a large grin on her face. "I'm on a broom! WOO!"

"Congrats!" he said. "Now you've just got to move."

The smile faltered slightly. "Oh, right. . ."

"Just think about where you want to go while leaning accordingly."

She took off past Cedric and laughed. "This is AMAZING!" she shouted.

Cedric raised both eyebrows in surprise. She'd been terrified a few minutes ago and now she's flying faster than he's seen anyone fly unless in a professional game.

When they finished going over basic quidditch necessities Ginny was waiting by the side of the quidditch field. "That was fantastic!" she applauded.

"Were you there the whole time?" Riley asked. Ginny nodded excitedly.

"I think you'd make an excellent chaser," Cedric said.

"That's one person Fred and George won't be aiming bludgers at," Ginny giggled.


	6. VI

"You get 'em Sherlock!" Riley shouted at her iPhone.

"Um. . . what are you doing?" someone asked.

Riley looked up. It was Hannah Abbott. "Oh, hello, Hannah. I'm watching Sherlock. It's basically Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in modern London."

She nodded. "Sounds exciting."

"It is," she said. "The episodes are quite long. But I like it that way."

"The one thing I don't like about TV shows is when they end the season on a cliffhanger," Hannah said.

"Oh my God, I know! It's horrible! Because then you're freaking out for so long. It's literally enough to drive a person insane."

Hannah nodded. Riley was thinking whether or not she should change something, but then again it wouldn't be right. Neville Longbottom ends up marrying Hannah Abbott that's what J.K. Rowling said for the people that weren't satisfied with the epilogue. But Riley couldn't help but want to get Neville and Luna together. They're just friends though. And she knows the feeling when you have a best friend of the opposite gender and all your friends want you to start dating. It can be a bit bothersome. . . but NUNA! Hannah seemed really nice, too. She could see what Neville eventually fell for.

I-I

"Hey, Hermione?" Riley asked.

Hermione looked up from her book. She was in the library when Riley went in there. And the issue from before was just pressing on Riley's mind and she needed to ask someone. "Hmm?" she asked.

"This is completely random. But, if you knew something about someone. . . about their future. . . and you could change it, even though it's not particularly bad. . . would you?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "I guess it depends on whether or not this thing in the future makes the person happy. If you know they're going to be happy you really shouldn't mess with it. But if it ends up hurting them emotionally or physically, if you had the chance I guess I would in your place. Unless it's something they really learn from."

Riley took all this in and let out a deep breath. "Thanks, Hermione."

Hermione was right. _I shouldn't have even considered changing that. How selfish of me. If Neville ends up marrying Hannah Abbot it'd have to be because he was really in love with her. And if that makes Neville happy I really shouldn't mess with it._ Now Riley moved onto a new issue. w|What can she change and who can she save without changing too much the whole story will flip on it's side? Then she'd have no idea where the story was going and more people could be killed than originally. It's a very big responsibility, holding all this knowledge. But the things she could do with it. All the people she could save. She might even be able to help Draco become what he wants to become. She could help him out when Voldemort wanted him to kill Dumbledore. And maybe even save Dumbledore in the process. But what would that change about Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their search for horcruxes?

Riley in her thinking hadn't noticed where she was going and walked straight into the edge of a wall separating two corridors. "Ow," she said, rubbing her nose.

A high-pitched laugh came from the other side of the corridor. "Hey! Clumsy wittle mudblood hurt hersewlf?" Pansy Parkinson poked with a baby voice.

Riley clenched. "I'd say something, but I don't think you'd understand big words."

She rolled her eyes. "As if you know any big words."

Riley smiled wickedly. This was her forte. "Nudiustertian."

Pansy hesitated. "That's not a real word. You made that up."

"The day before yesterday. How about lamprophony?"

Pansy didn't respond.

"Clarity of enunciation. 'Yarborough' - a hand of cards containing no number above nine. 'Zoanthropy' - a delusion of a person who believes they've turned into an animal. 'Oxter' - outdated word meaning 'armpit'. 'Vacuous' – a person lacking intelligence or serious thought. Have a nice fucking day," she finished and turned away walking down the corridor to her next class. As she walked a way a smile of triumph grew on her face and she felt giddy and accomplished.

 **Character thoughts on Riley so far:**

 **Pansy Parkinson: So she knows big words! Still a mudblood.**

 **Draco Malfoy: Haven't talked to her in a few weeks. . .**

 **George Weasley: I hope she makes the Hufflepuff quidditch team**

 **Fred Weasley: The library was a genius idea!**

 **Hermione Granger: Odd question, wasn't it?  
Ron Weasley: Haven't talked to her much.**

 **Albus Dumbledore: Bright young lady, and from what I hear Cedric Diggory saying a natural flier**

 **Ginny Weasley: She's my best friend! I'm just thinking about who to ship her with. . . maybe George . . .**

 **Cedric Diggory: Great person at heart, natural flier – who am I kidding – that was amazing! I could see her on a professional quidditch team**

 **Harry Potter: Haven't talked to her much.**

 **Hannah Abbot: She got me hooked on Sherlock! I LOVE THIS SHOW!**


End file.
